Chinese nationals murdered in Papua New Guinea

TWO Chinese nationals have been murdered, a substantial amount of cash and their trade store looted by villagers in the LNG gas project area in the Hela Province.

Deputy Police Commissioner Operations, Simon Kauba revealed this yesterday saying the two Chinese nationals were attacked in their shop in the early hours of September 28 by villages believed to be from Parra village at Hides 4.

The two were brutally murdered and their shop ransacked with a substantial amount of cash stolen, Mr Kauba said.

The matter was reported to Tari police station where a raid was conducted and two key suspects were apprehended by police.

The two suspects are Diago Tando, 30, of Paki village in the Para ward council at Hides 4 and Minago Hewataga Ambu, 20, of Paijapaija village.

Mr Kauba said another other five suspects were still at large but are known to police.

and will be taken in shortly.

The motive of the attack according to Mr Kauba would have been criminal in that the villagers were aware that trading for the past weeks by the trade store was very good and that the takings were all kept at the store and not taken away to be banked.

Mr Kauba identified the victims as Len Shibao, 44, and Sie Xia Oju, 54 both from Fujian province in China.